A Bullet For My Valentine
by changenotcoins
Summary: Fish is assigned to the emergency phone call of Jessica Brennan after she spots her stalker and he ends up getting more than he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

He could feel the raindrops splash onto his face causing his vision to blur as he navigated, the crackle of thunder echoing behind him. His weapon was safely secured at his waist, just itching to be used in the eerie evening setting. He had come prepared to do his job; a trained officer in pursuit of a vicious perpetrator.

He couldn't fathom how John McBain had entrusted such an important case to a novice like him but now he was focused solely on catching Jessica Brennan's stalker. He had listened in on the emergency call made by the heiress of Llanview, frantic and frightened as she came face to face once more with the mysterious man who had it in for her.

He spotted Jessica easily by the emotion etched onto her features and he made a motion for her to keep silent. He watched her nod slowly, pointing to an unknown object across from her. He pulled his gun from its place in its holster, cocking it and wrapping his index finger tightly around the trigger.

He was careful to be silent in his steps so as not to spook the man he was after. He heard a rustle in the bushes that made him stop in his tracks. "Police!" he barked, eyes searching the premises. "Show yourself!"

He didn't expect the man to obey his command and he was correct; the man kept himself cleverly hidden behind the advantages of nature. He was about to call out again, ease the man into his line of sight when he heard Jessica shriek behind him, a scream of bloody murder like he had never heard before.

His head whipped around, the image of a silver barrel pointed between his pupils on the bridge of his nose. His eyes immediately bulged, glancing quickly at the terrified woman who sought his help. He felt the revolver shift to his temple, the cool metal pressed against contradicting warm skin. He noticed the how obscured the man was in black garb from head to toe, undetectable on the terrace of the mansion.

He removed the gun from his flesh, centering it on the young woman he had been following. "I've been watching you, Jessica Brennan," he spoke softly. "And I know that you've been trying to find out who I am for quite some time now."

"Who are you?"

"Why reveal who I am when this game of cat and mouse has been so amusing and entertaining to me? That would simply ruin all the fun."

"Step away from her or I _will_ shoot you," came his deep voice from within the shadows. It shook with anxiousness and anticipation for fear of the unknown. "I have no qualms about shooting whoever you are if you even_ think_ about harming her."

He was silent for several moments before giving a throaty chuckle, turning around gradually to face the enemy once more.

He stood on the defense, unaware of the next fateful event; he raised the pistol, pulled the trigger and fired a bullet with the air of a man who had a lot of practice at wielding a weapon. He watched almost as if it were in slow motion.

He let his weapon hit the floor with a hard thunk, knees buckling underneath as he crashed to the concrete, hand over his wound as his mouth went agape in strangled pain.

Oliver Fish lay motionless on the ground as crimson stains ran down his side, the face of Jessica Brennan the last he saw before everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

He could hear the voices instructing him to breath, the moisture from his mouth clouding up the oxygen mask. His eyes fluttered open and shut rapidly, the loud beep of the machine going from a slow steady pace to almost nothing at all. They scrambled around in a desperate attempt to keep him alive, fingers drenched in a blood flow that refused to cease, pressed against broken flesh in a futile effort.

He could feel himself being moved, body jostling as he was lowered to the ground. They yelled important phrases he should have been listening to but all he could hear was the loud din of the gunshot coupled with the voice of someone he longed to hear.

* * *

Kyle Lewis studied the words in the book, committing each one to memory as he chewed the end of his pen. He shook his head and closed his eyes, concentration a hard thing to grasp._ Sphygmoid. Hypalbuminosis. Mucopolysaccharide. _He repeated the words in his head until they seemed to find a permanent home there.

His eyes snapped open when he heard a frantic knock at his door. He couldn't imagine who would was seeking his attention so late in the evening but judging by the urgent pound he opted to answer anyways.

"Roxy," he groaned as he faced the blonde. "Not to be rude, but I have an important exam tomorrow and if I don't study - "

"You gotta come quick, kid!" Roxy cut him off in a panicked voice, flailing her arms in desperation. "That officer friend of yours was on the news and it ain't looking so good for him."

"Roxy, what _happened_ to him?" Kyle asked in a strained tone, endless possibilities racing through his mind. "What happened to Oliver?"

"They said that he was gunned down," Roxy replied. "They took him to Llanview Hospital but - "

Kyle barely registered her last words before he was gone completely from her sight.

* * *

He had almost gotten himself killed numerous times on the road but somehow he found himself unconcerned with this notion. "Excuse me," Kyle prompted the nurse at the front desk. "Can you tell me if Oliver Fish was here?"

The nurse glanced briefly at him, turning her eyes back to the computer screen. "I'm sorry, but unless you're family I can't release any information to you."

Kyle gave her a soft smile in return. "I understand. Thank you."

He ran a hand through the wisps of his hair, a heavy sigh escaping him. He felt his palms break out into a sweat as he pictured what happened. _Gunned down. Officer friend. Ain't looking so good. _

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned, running almost smack dab into Cristian Vega. "I had a feeling you would be here," Cristian said, eyes looking red with lack of sleep and a coffee cup clutched between his fingers.

"They won't tell me anything," Kyle choked out. "Please tell me that he's okay."

Cristian drew in a breath, letting it out slowly as he paused before he spoke. "I can't tell you that he's okay, Kyle," he replied. "Because I don't know. He's in surgery right now but the last update we got was that it was still touch and go. The bullet nicked a vital organ and he lost a lot of blood."

Kyle sank into a chair in the waiting room, unable to keep steady on his feet. He buried his face in his hands and laughed bitterly. "I suppose Layla is here somewhere."

"She went to the cafeteria, I guess to clear her head. She freaked out because she thinks this is going to be like her friend's death all over again."

"Her friend was a cop?"

Cristian nodded, raising the coffee cup to his lips. "Killed in the line of duty."

_Killed in the line of duty._

The impact of the words hit him like a sucker punch to the stomach, knowing the possibility of that happening to the man he loved was great.

"Hey man, I'm sorry. That wasn't exactly the greatest thing to say given the circumstances."

"I asked."

"I can't tell you that everything is going to be okay because then I would be lying to you. There are no guarantees in a situation like this," Cristian pointed out. "But I will tell you this; if and when Fish wakes up, the first face he is going to want to see is you."

Kyle looked up abruptly. "But Layla - "

"_You_, Kyle," Cristian said with all the force he could muster. "Only you."

He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the sudden appearance of a young doctor, followed closely by Layla who was right at his heels. The doctor sighed heavily and placed his clipboard underneath his arm. "I have good news and bad news," he began. "Oliver Fish took a bullet straight to his right kidney. We were able to remove the bullet and repair the damage to his kidney, both of which were not as easy as we first anticipated. He lost a significant amount of blood to which we gave him a transfusion and now we are watching closely to see how his kidney heals up. His vitals are much lower than we would prefer but we'll keep an eye on him. In the meantime, he's going to need a lot of rest and no stresses whatsoever."

"But will he be okay?" Kyle interjected.

"We're optimistic but with this kind injury, it's immensely complicated. It's a wait and see process," the doctor answered. "But I have to ask; which one of you is Kyle Lewis?"

Cristian pointed at Kyle, earning him a curious look from a confused Layla.

"I need your permission to put Mr. Fish on dialysis."

"Do whatever you need to do," Kyle said. "Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded, giving them the room number before walking away to tend to the next patient. Layla started toward the direction of the room but Cristian gently held her back by the base of her elbow, shaking his head. "Let Kyle be the one to see him."

He could hear her protests as he walked away but he ignored them, pushing open the door to Fish's room quietly. The Oliver Fish he encountered was barely recognizable as the man he loved, countless wires embedded in his body, pale face almost as white as the hospital sheets. It terrified him to see him lying in that position, unable to free him of his suffering; he would trace places in a heartbeat.

He pulled up to the bedside, taking Oliver's hand in his and gently squeezed it, brushing a kiss across his knuckles. "I always knew you'd be the death of me, Oliver Fish," Kyle whispered heavily. "Because you're killing me here."

The machine beeped on, easing his mind with its repetitive noise. "There's so much I haven't gotten the chance to say to you yet and I need you to stay with me. I let you become my everything and if you leave me, I will have nothing. The last thing I want is to lose you," Kyle let a lone tear slip down his cheek. "I love you."

He whispered the last three words as softly as his voice could muster, his breath hitching as he pressed a kiss to Oliver's forehead.

_He gave a hearty laugh from deep within his chest as Kyle broke the eggs into the bowl, the shells clinging to the yoke as they fell into the gooey batter. Kyle glared back playfully, stirring the remnants of the brownie mix with a whisk in perfect circles. He paused for a moment before flinging the chocolate riddled utensil at his lover. _

_Bits of the decadent treat landed on his nose and Kyle grinned devilishly, wagging his eyebrows. He raised the metal in threat once more and Fish took off in fear. Kyle tackled him into the rumpled fraternity sheets on the bed, fingers digging into his sides for a relentless attack. Fish giggled uncontrollably as Kyle pinned his wrists above his head, mischievous smile playing across his features. The boyish grin quickly gave way to a genuine smile filled with adoration and lustful eyes. He lowered his head, poising himself only centimeters above Oliver's face before he let the tip of his tongue dart out to taste the measly amount of chocolate resting on Oliver's nose. He captured Oliver's lips with with his own, a slow and meaningful kiss the result._

_"You taste like chocolate."_

_"Kyle?"_


	3. Chapter 3

"Kyle?"

How he longed to hear that voice.

Before he had felt like he had taken a soccer ball straight to the gut but now he could feel the relief wash over him. He didn't care at that moment that it was only his name and nothing more; he had _spoken_. He was _alive_. It was all he could do just to stop himself from dancing a jig right there into the nurse's station.

"Oliver," Kyle breathed, grasping his hand gently but not as if he ever wanted to let go. "I'm right here."

"What happened?" Fish groaned inwardly, his voice groggy from sleep and, what Kyle was sure was, pain. "I feel like I got shot."

"You got shot," Kyle replied, resisting the urge to laugh. "Twice, if I can remember correctly. You saved Jessica Brennan from a madman but he certainly put up a fight. Two bullets of a fight."

The memory of what must have been the night before came flooding back. There was rain, darkness, a blonde woman and a gray haired man, screams, gunshots and _blood_. He grimaced when he realized it had been his own blood that had stained the terrace. That man had _shot_ him. Suddenly he was fully unaware of the pain as anger washed over him in floods.

"I got shot!"

"You got shot," Kyle said again, slower this time. "We are already established this."

"Well, now that I know, I find that I'm really angry about it," Oliver stated as he feigned indignation. "Like really. A cop that just wants to do his job has to have some crazy guy shoot him. Where is the justice in the world?"

"You sure that morphine isn't in a higher dosage?"

Fish playfully glared at him and Kyle grinned back on instinct, immensely grateful he had his Oliver back... albeit with a few noticeable marks on his body now, but who was he to complain?

"Can I go home?"

Kyle opened his mouth to respond to Oliver's intriguing question, as it was one that had been weighing on his mind for some time, when the glass door to the room slid open with a whisper and in walked his doctor. "I can answer that for you right now, if you'd like."

"Please do."

"You're healing up far better than we expected, especially now that you're awake and seem to be back to normal - " He stopped when he noticed Fish glance down at several bandages covering his flesh and amended his statement. " - well, for the most part. I think it's safe to say that you're fit to go home. With one exception, of course."

Kyle looked up at the doctor expectantly. "Which is...?"

"I should say _two_," he corrected himself. "I gather that you're a workaholic and are dedicated to your job but absolutely _no_ work whatsoever until you are ready to run a marathon again. You'll be riding a desk for the time being, so get used to paperwork. I might just have to treat you for carpal tunnel here soon. And you'll need someone to go home with you to take care of you. You will not be able to do it alone. Think you can handle that?"

Fish gave the doctor a half assed salute and dropped his hand back beside Kyle's on the bed. "Sure thing, doc."

The doctor eyed his patient suspiciously but decided to take his word for it and started to leave. "Paperwork is at the front desk for discharge."

"Does Layla mind staying with you to help you recuperate?"

Fish furrowed his brown in confusion. "I thought you would be the caregiver this time around."

Kyle's eyes widened and he blinked multiple times, making sure he had heard him correctly. "Come home with you?"

"Actually, I was thinking with _you_. Layla and I are kaput and I wouldn't want to have her stressing over me, waiting on me hand and foot out of some pity maneuver. Besides, you're much more sympathetic than they are and I kind of like the idea of having you there to take care of me. Kinky, I know, but hey, what can I say? If the shoe fits, I will certainly go try it on. Anyways, this stupid hospital gown is starting to _really_ itch and if I don't get - "

"Oliver?"

"Huh?"

Kyle placed his index finger across Oliver's warm lips. "Shut up."

"I guess I'm still pretty whacked on Scooby Snacks, if you know what I mean." Oliver mumbled against Kyle's finger. Kyle gave him a warning look and Oliver made a motion of closing his mouth like a zipper.

"I am going to fill out that paperwork and when I get back, we'll go home, okay?" Kyle asked, and Oliver gave him a smile in response. _We'll go home._ He really liked the sound of that.

* * *

  
He fished his keys from deep within his pocket and unlocked the front door, his free arm draped across Oliver's waist to support him. He kicked the door open and helped Oliver hobble to the bed, where he gently lowered him onto the comforter. "You should get some rest, Oliver."

"I will as soon as I get fresh bandages," Oliver winced in pain as he clutched at the wound on his bicep. "I think I'm bleeding."

Kyle whipped around and eyeballed the scene from afar, sprinting to the bathroom to gather supplies to redress his wounds. He bolted back to Oliver and kneeled beside him, surveying the damage.

He pulled back the white bandage carefully and slowly, avoiding what he knew were Oliver's eyes on him as he did this. They were so close to each other now that Kyle could feel Oliver's breath on his cheek. He lathered his fingers with ointment, pressing the liquid onto Oliver's wound. Oliver winced again, and pulled back slightly.

"Sorry," Kyle grumbled underneath his breath. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

This admission forced Kyle to look at Oliver; to look straight into those penetrating blue eyes that he wanted to look away from but simply couldn't due to the sheer piercing gaze he had on him. "You didn't hurt me."

Kyle chose not to respond, instead returning to work diligently on replacing the now soaked cloths. He placed the last bandage onto Oliver's arm and stopped briefly as he felt fingertips brush over the skin on his chin, forcing him to look up. Kyle's soft brown eyes met the equally soft blue ones of Oliver's and his breath hitched when he noticed how close they were, how Oliver's fingers were stroking his cheek now, how his eyelids had drooped like they always did before he closed them during a kiss.

And before he could pull away, Oliver had lowered his head, pressing his lips against Kyle's in a soft kiss. At first the kiss was tiny, hesitant, slow but it soon became more eager and heady, giving way to the pent up passion each had. When they finally did break apart for air, Kyle rested his forehead against Oliver's, breathing more heavily then before.

"You know that you were the last thing I thought about after I got shot. The only thing I could think of," Oliver whispered. "Your face was what kept me alive."

"You know what?"

Oliver cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Let's not talk."

And so they didn't.


End file.
